ShortList’s Man Of The Year 2011

1. Ryan Gosling. That we quite like him is both ‘unavoidable’ and ‘an understatement’. We’ve interviewed the 31-year-old actor twice this year — including putting him on the cover as the embodiment of cool (inset) — and devoted multiple pages to his films. Drive in particular.

In the space of just 12 months, the former-Mouseketeer has transformed himself from lesser-spotted indie darling to Hollywood’s hottest property, with a cinematic winning streak that started in January with Blue Valentine and has continued right until the end of the year with a potentially Oscar-grabbing turn in The Ides Of March. Oh, and he fearlessly intervened in a real New York street fight. The man might well be perfect.

For these reasons, and the fact he looks impossibly dapper in a scorpion jacket and leather gloves — a look we’ve tried, and failed, to pull off — we’ve crowned him our ‘Man Of The Year’.

So, join us in raising a coffee mug to Ryan. Done? Good. Now, turn the page to find out which men he pipped to the post, as well as the results of all our other end-of-year awards…

2. Tom Hardy

Cinema has found its latest, greatest, buffest blank canvas. Hardy’s year saw him slim down to slip into a suit for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy before bulking up as an MMA fighter in Warrior (inset).

3. Noel Gallagher

In the acrimonious Oasis divorce, we’ve had to take sides with Noel. We love Liam, but the older brother’s solo album trumped Beady Eye’s.

4. Michael Fassbender

The main reason the X-Men films are back on track. Fassbender’s charismatic turn as Magneto almost had us rooting for the wrong side.

5. Karl Pilkington

The year that Pilkington finally upstaged Gervais and Merchant with An Idiot Abroad 2. They may make the show, but he makes the show.

6. Mahmoud Jibril

Leader of Libya’s National Transitional Council for the seven and a half months of the country’s civil war. A man of his word, he stepped down when Sirte was captured, Colonel Gaddafi killed and Libya freed.

7. Lionel Messi

To stand out in the current Barcelona team should be nigh on impossible, but then, at times, Messi seems capable of miracles.